Green Tea vs Yerba Mate

We all know of green tea. It’s been called the Elixir of Life and has been hailed as a powerful medicinal herb for thousands of years. It’s good stuff. There’s no doubt about that. And when you compare it to the highly acidic and toxic coffee, it’s a no-brainer that green tea is the healthier option. With less caffeine and a healthy stack of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and compounds that restore life and give you energy, green tea is truly a powerhouse of health and wellbeing.

Green Tea vs Yerba Mate

But surely you’ve heard of yerba mate, right? Oh, no? Not really? Well I can’t blame you. I only found yerba mate a few years ago. It’s the green tea of South America and the best kept secret of the past 100 years—I kid you not. If green tea is the Elixir of Life, well, yerba mate is the Drink of the Gods.

In 2009 I started drinking yerba mate while living in Argentina, the world capital of yerba mate. The average Argentine mate drinker happily consumes about 2 liters of mate per day; even children enjoy it. Like green tea, yerba mate is a medicinal herb that share many common health attributes. However, strictly speaking, yerba mate isn’t from the tea plant (camellia sinensis); it’s from a holly plant native to Paraguay, Argentina, Southern Brazil, and Uruguay (ilex paraguariensis).

Consumed for millennia by the ancient Guarani Tribes, yerba mate has been used as a communal and medicinal drink for a long time; even before the Spanish begun forcing them to grow mate as a multimillion dollar cash crop of the time (1600–1850). It was used as the basis of all medicine, as well as a drink that invariably provided an unlimited source of natural energy.

The Guarani actually prayed to the “God of Yerba Mate.” Traditionally, it’s drunk from a hollowed squash plant (also called a “mate” or gourd) and a metal straw with a filter (called a bombilla) that’s placed inside the gourd to draw up freshly steeped hot water that’s been infused with the herb. Sounds a bit cumbersome, but it’s really easy when you get the hang of it. (Here’s a video showing you how to prepare yerba mate.) Nowadays, yerba mate can be consumed exactly like green tea, using a frenchpress or infuser to prepare yerba mate or using some yerba mate tea bags. It’s a truly fascinating herb.

Good source of natural energy (with the aid of caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline)

Promote weight loss

Fight and prevent osteoporosis by increasing bone density

As you can see, the green tea vs yerba mate analysis shows that these two herbs are just about neck and neck. But! Hold on just a moment… There are some critical differences that clearly distinguish these herbs in their healing capacities.

Is Yerba Mate better than Green Tea?

Let me start with the simple answer: yes. Actually, it’s a resounding, emphatic, confident, YES! Though both plants offer a wide array of health benefits, yerba mate is more effective and efficient. And why is this? Because of the concentration of mate’s antioxidants compared to green tea’s. In fact, mate’s unique combination of healing compounds are so starkly different than any other tea, that most scientists currently studying these herbs admit that they still don’t know exactly how mate can be so effective. The research continues.

In particular, yerba mate contains high concentrations of Chlorogenic Acid (the same acid that the health world has been buzzing about lately; namely in respect to green coffee beans); green tea is a very poor source of Chlorogenic Acid, (if even a source at all).

Health Benefits of Chlorogenic Acid

Since yerba mate has such a high concentration of Chlorogenic Acid, it’s able to be highly effective with the following:

Reduce and attack cancer cells

Destroy bacteria

Clear the arteries; promote healthy heart

Lower blood pressure

Lower cholesterol

Help with Diabetes

Yerba Mate also has a group of compounds called Saponins and Caffeoylquinic Acids (CQAs)

These compounds act as the turbo-booster for yerba mate; they are the fuels that ignite yerba mate’s unusually high antioxidant capacity. Moreover, these compounds play major roles in mate’s ability to be effective against inflammation and weight loss. Green tea is losing the race on this track.

Yerba Mate has more active chemicals than green tea

Among the 196 volatile chemicals found in yerba mate tea, only 144 are present in green tea.—Kawakami and Kobayashi, 1991

Yerba mate has over 50 more chemicals than green tea. Yes, 50 more! Apart from the additional boost in healing properties you get from drinking yerba mate instead of green tea, these chemicals give depth to mate’s exquisiteness; they offer a rich set of flavors and aromas that firmly place mate in the class of luxury items such as wine, whisky, craft beers, and gourmet foods. Any seasoned yerba mate drinker knows that drinking a fine variety of mate is quite an experience.

Green Tea and Yerba Mate Effective Against Cancer

Green tea has a compound called EGCG, which is an extremely potent antioxidant. EGCG has, heretofore, been green tea’s ace in the hole. It’s been shown to be effective against cancer as well as helping to decrease bad cholesterol. However, EGCG, when placed on the table with yerba mate’s 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, begins to look more like a Golden Parachute than a panacea.

Contrary to the reported carcinogenic properties of Mate, there are scientifically backed reports of anticancer effects. Mate tea has been shown to have high cytotoxicity for cancer cells, which is even higher than that of green tea.—De Mejia Gonzalez, 2007

In conclusion, though green tea is still a viable option as a healthy drink that calms the body while providing an abundance of antioxidants, it can’t be denied that yerba mate is the winner here.

The Feeling of Euphoria for Yerba Mate

Yerba mate is not only healthier, but with it also comes a surge of spectacular euphoria, mental clarity, and wellbeing that cannot be obtained with the finest of green teas—and certainly not with harsh, acidic coffee.

That alone!

That alone is worth further investigation into yerba mate. The ability to de-fog your mind, feel amazing, AND (and that’s a BIG “and”) know that you’re drinking the most powerful herb on the planet Earth…well now, doesn’t that make you want to have a sip right now?

Here’s a short video discussing the health benefits of yerba mate:

In order to reap the full health benefits of yerba mate, it’s recommend that you drink at least 4 cups per day. With the aid of a frenchpress or yerba mate tea bags, it’s never been easier to feel energized and stay healthy. Visit our yerba mate store and see what this herb can do for you.

Hi, thats an awesome article, very informative thankyou !! But I do have one question, does yerba mate tea have the same amount of benefits if drank cold? I like to add ice to my tea in summer as a refreshing drink and wondered if any of the benefits diminished if iced? thankyou

I have been drinking Yerba Mate for several years and love it, for an afternoon pick me up, vs. coffee, which I also love! There is no doubt that Yerba Mate gives me a lift without that irritable edge, like coffee does. Also, I prefer it to green tea because it doesn’t bother my stomach like green tea does. After learning more about it from your website, I’m going to drink more Yerba Mate for it’s health properties! Thank you for the information!

Well done. My brother in law’s family are from Buenos Aires, and years ago he gifted me with a kilo of Cruz de Malta. He is not a fan, remembering mate only as “that bitter hot drink” as a child. I enjoy it regularly, and may even consider dropping coffee entirely, but that’s a long term relationship I’m not quite ready to abandon. 🙂 .

I have a question for you. Which is better the right side of the brain or the left side of the brain? They do different things. I say to use them both. That is what I do. I use both green tea and yerba mate tea. Sometimes together and sometimes apart. My friend says that yerba mate is very bitter. I feel that yerba mate tastes much better than green tea. Whole foods market sells a tea made with half mate and half green tea with a little bit of spearment (all organic). Since both have chemicals the other does not have then using both gives you much more than on alone. Which is better for a marine to carry– a pistol or a rifle? They carry them both. Which is better? It depends on what you are going to do.

I don’t like “green” yerba mate, I prefer it toasted, the tea version of it. I love the taste, the color and the aroma. Sometimes I make it a little darker (concentrated) and drink it with milk or as iced tea. I think it tastes much better than the more traditional black or green tea. My favorite brand is called “Matte Leao”, I think it’s of Brazilian origin. I only buy the loose leaves 250g pack.

Here in Brazil Centro-Oeste (Midwest) and Paraguay, Mate is drunk with cold water and ice rather than with hot water, since temperatures here varies from 86 to 104 ºF along the year. This very refreshing beverage is called “Tereré” (te-re-rE).

The homeland of terere is Paraguay. Here in Brazil, the city of Campo Grande is the capital of terere.

Hello thank you for the information. I have a few questions for you. Does Mate contain tannins like tea? Also if you’re a person that is prone to having problems sleeping will the caffeine in mate cause problems sleeping if you drink it after lunch?

Hey Christy, thanks for the comment. Yes, mate does contain tannis like green tea. For most people, the caffeine is mate actually works differently than caffeine in coffee. It has more of a gentle uplifting effect and mellowing sensation. Once your body gets used to it, it may even help you fall asleep, as long as you don’t have a hyper-sensitivity to caffeine. You may appreciate our Feather Pillow brand, which was designed for relaxation.